Wem Foundation
WEM Foundation is a private 501(c)(3) foundation based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The organization has been tax-exempt since December 1988 and operates as a private grantmaking foundation.
Financial Overview
From 2023 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
—
Annual Giving
$359.5M
+76.3% YoY
Grant Count
135
-2.2% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$2.7M
+80.2% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's mission is giving primarily for arts and cultural programs, education, health care, and international affairs.
Primary funding focus areas include:
- Education
- Arts and cultural programs
- Health care
- International affairs
- Philanthropy and voluntarism
- Human services
Grantmaking
The foundation is open to new applicants.
Grant Range
$12,000
Average Grant
amount: $100–$75,165,000
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation supports a wide range of cities and states across the United States, including:
- Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, North Carolina, New York, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming
- Major urban centers including New York, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C.
- Smaller towns throughout the country
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
2023 Financial Data:
- Total assets: $0
- Total revenue: $5.94 million
- Total expenses: $360 million
- Total giving: $359,470,304
Note: The significant disparity between assets and expenses reflects the foundation's planned spend-down phase.
| Metric | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | — | — | — |
| Revenue | — | — | — |
| Expenses | — | — | — |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | — | — | — |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2023
Grant Size Distribution
200 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
No grants recorded for .
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Key leadership includes:
- Elizabeth S. MacMillan — Director/Vice Chair/Secretary
- Harriet S. Norgren — Director
- James Hield — Director/President
Compensation Overview
From 2023 IRS filing
From 2023 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ELIZABETH S MACMILLAN | DIRECTOR/VICE CHAIR/SEC | 1 | — |
| HARRIET S NORGREN | DIRECTOR | 0.25 | $5,000 |
| JAMES HIELD | DIRECTOR/PRESIDENT | 40 | $390,000 |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
Minnesota's WEM Foundation is in the process of sunsetting with a substantial spend-down of approximately $500 million. The foundation has distributed significant grants across its focus areas during this wind-down period.
Willmar teacher wins $10,000 award from WEM Foundation - West Central TribuneRelated Funders
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Data last updated April 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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